1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to archery and more particularly to a simple, light weight, variously adjustable bow sight mounting apparatus, a bow sight incorporating such apparatus and an archery bow having a sight mounted thereon by such mounting apparatus.
2. Background Information
Since their inception, archery bows have evolved from the simple bow and string arrangement to the current state-of-the-art modern compound bows which, through a series of pulley arrangements, should allow the archer to improve his accuracy because he is not required to maintain maximum pull on the string throughout the full draw.
Archers have long been investigating means of improving their accuracy of aim to take advantage of the modern compound bows and seeking an aiming device readily adjustable at full draw while maintaining proper tilt and eliminating twist. This is not an easily solved problem. Since, unlike firearms, greater corrections for elevation angle and windage must be made. Due to the reduced velocity, configuration, and weight of an arrow it tends to drop appreciably over relative short distances compared to a bullet.
Prior art devices having improved aiming devices range from a very simple single element pin sight mounted on the bow to more elaborate combinations of multi-pin arrangements, cross hairs, peep sights on the bow string, to trigger mechanisms attempting to raise and lower the aiming devices to specific horizontal planes. However, none of the conventional prior arts allow for a simple wrist and full draw adjustment that will eliminate the problems acquired in bow shooting, such as cant, tilt, twist and yardage adjustment as well as compensating for elevated shooting.
Initially, bows relied on the operators eye and judgement, which came with increasing experience, to aim the bow and determine the proper angle of elevation. Arrow velocities were relatively low and shooting distances were similarly short. Therefore, sophisticated aiming devices were not required. However, with the advent of the compound bow with its inherent ability to produce greater velocities, thus longer shooting distances, the need for improved aiming devices became evident.
Conventional sights range from a very simple single element pin sight mounted on the bow to more elaborate multi-pin arrangements. However, most of these devices require the archer to move his/her eye in relation to the sight, thus modifying their anchor point, which produces a different set of geometry. Causing the shooter to loose the consistency that insures accuracy.
Conventional sighting devices still leaves the shooter a great deal of self adjustment in regards to target change and, furthermore, he can make no changes especially at full draw. The true problem that exists with conventional sights is that in raising or lowering a bow to meet target changes of either greater or lessor yardage, the bow moves in an arch according to the anchor point of the archer. This movement is part of a segment of a circle. The degree or size of this circle is determined by the draw length of the archer. Thus determining the radius of movement of the bow and so determined by the archer standard anchor point. Prior art devices are mounted to bows vertically and travel with the bow in perpendicular manner throughout the radius of the arch. The archer must then change the sighting aperture to a pre-adjusted aperture to meet the intended target, thus moving the eye or anchor point. Conventional sights do not, in their design, compensate for all problems encountered in shooting a bow accurately, such as compensating for radial movement, bow twist, canting, and tilt.
Because of the pull or draw on the bow string to a standard anchor point and the projecting aperture being held in the hand, and the elasticity and movability of all, the problems of canting, tilt and twisting all become major concerns in accuracy to the intended target. Conventional sight devices do not solve this problem with a single unit.
Various bow sights are known and those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,052 granted Mar. 3, 1992 to Samuel W. Godsey and U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,799 granted Feb. 22, 2000 to Dennis Wiesby et al. are, to applicant""s knowledge, the most closely related to the present invention. These references disclose a sight element attached to a base member that is movable vertically along a linear path in a direction perpendicular to an elongate mounting arm that attaches to the bow by a base plate.
The ""052 reference teaches a lever being pivotally attached, intermediate its ends, to the mounting arm and it is connected at one end thereof to the base member by a sliding pivot. Pivoting the lever arm causes the base member to move upwardly, or downwardly, as desired, along the above mentioned linear path to change the sight line relative to the bow and thereby permitting the user to make adjustments for targets that are located at various different distances. The free end of the lever carries a locking screw that travels in an arcuate slot in an enlargement that is transverse to the length of the elongate arm. The sight element can be adjustably moved toward and away from the base member as well as along a path parallel to the above mentioned linear path. The 799 patent teaches a threaded screw is used to move the sight element up or down as desired and the mounting arm has a joint for articulated movement about a vertical axis.
While the forgoing devices are variously adjustable they are complicated and made of many components and thus expensive to produce.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a bow sight mounting apparatus that is simple, sturdy, light in weight and variously adjustable.
A further principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable bow sight mounting apparatus that is easily adjusted and precise in adjustment.
The instant invention provides a bow sight mounting apparatus for mounting on a bow comprising a base plate for attachment to the bow, an elongate frame member. Included are means for mounting the frame member on the base plate for movement along a first linear path. Means for releasably locking the frame member on the base plate is also provided together with a threaded rod, and means for mounting the threaded rod on the frame member for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the rod. The longitudinal axis is disposed at a selected angle to the first linear path. A slide block having a threaded hole therethrough and means for slidably mounting the slide block on the frame member are defined for guided movement along a second linear path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the threaded rod. The threaded rod extends through the threaded hole and in mating engagement therewith and finger engagable means is connected to the rod for rotating the same to move the slide block longitudinally along the second linear path. A sight mounting block and means for mounting the sight mounting block on the slide block for rotation about a first axis of rotation is disposed at a selected angle to the longitudinal axis of the threaded rod. Also included are means for mounting a sight element on the sight mounting block.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a bow sight mounting apparatus as described above with a sight element mounted on the sight mounting block thereof.
Also provided in accordance with the present invention is an archery bow having a sight element mounted thereon by a sight mounting apparatus as described above.